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21 replies

Ugly Gray Spot?

FM Former Member
I smoked some baby backs today. I rubbed them last night and wrapped them and let them sit in the fridge overnight. I put them in the Smokette at 1pm. I had three slabs and cut them in half, and put three halves on each of two grills. I put these in the two lower positions and then I put some bacon on the top rack. at 4pm I went out and popped the door. The bacon on the top rack was nice and brown, but the bacon under the vent hole had an ugly gray spot on it.

When I opened the door, I removed the rack of bacon, moved the bottom grill of ribs to the top, and put the grill from the bacon in the bottom position and put in a pan of beans, with the bacon ripped up in the beans.

When I pulled everything out at 7:30, the slab of ribs that was under the vent had the same ugly gray spot. What caused the spot? The ribs were great, but we didn't eat the two bones that had the spot.
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FM Former Member
I have tried cleaning the exhaust hole each time before a new cook and still get the gray spot you speak of. The only 2 sure fixes I have found for this are:
1) Avoid putting any food directly under this area.
2) MAking a very small tin foil pan to catch the drips and put it under the hole on the topmost rack.

Using #2 above, I have even put the tin foil pan on top of meat (when I fill up my 008) and eliminated the spot.

Bob
S stuartMember
We have messed around many times with moving the vent hole. But you really get better smoke and heat flow if it is in the middle of the oven. There are a lot of variables that cause the gray spot on the meat and cold weather is one of them. Try putting a can with the top and bottom cut out over the vent hole. It normally will solve the problem in cold weather.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Stuart:
[qb] We have messed around many times with moving the vent hole. But you really get better smoke and heat flow if it is in the middle of the oven. There are a lot of variables that cause the gray spot on the meat and cold weather is one of them. Try putting a can with the top and bottom cut out over the vent hole. It normally will solve the problem in cold weather. [/qb]
As luck would have it, we've only had one day above freezing since my Smokette arrived! I'll try the can trick!
FM Former Member
No pro after the first smoke but read the post before I did my initial one. Because of your comment I raised the side racks all the way to the top and put a small aluminum pie plate below the vent. It didn't restrict the flow of smoke and when the butts were done there was no ill effect of the condesation cause it got caught in the pie tin. Of course I didn't need all the racks so I was able to do it this time.
FM Former Member
ron

try putting one of those tops like the one that
is on a hot water heater. just raise it just above the hole, so smoke can escape. i think you can buy one any place like home deport.i think
they put them on hot water heaters to prevent
condesation. they look like rice paddie hats.
FM Former Member
This is my biggest issue with the Cookshack smokers. I have the Smokette and have resigned myself to either using one of the shelves and putting foil directly underneath the vent, or making sure that you arrange your meat such that you can make a small drip catch in the middle. I don't buy the "get over it and just eat it, it doesn't hurt anything". It makes a fabulous smoked turkey look like crap. Preheating also helps. If you put a small catch foil underneath the vent, your product will come out perfect and look good.
FM Former Member
I finally found something that will clean out the exhaust hole on my 008 real well. Goto Walmart, the gun supply area, and buy 10 gauge shotgun bore cleaner. Looks like a round wire brush and costs a whopping $1.87. After a cook, but while the unit is empty and still hot, I run this down thru the hole a few times. Then wipe the inside lip of the hole and you are done. I havent had a return of this spot since.

Bob

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